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How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 7: A Base in the 2nd Neutral

July 26, 2014 Today's step will bring our second neutral color more fully into our capsule wardrobes, by the addition of another "suit-like ensemble" in this color. Please note that you can choose a really different cardigan style from your first one, or you could choose a jacket - even a denim jacket! And I'm opting for ballet flats for this color - no matter what shoes I choose, someone somewhere is going to detest them and want something very different. I'm including these in a really neutral style mostly for illustrative purposes - I want to focus on the role that a second pair of shoes, in a different color, will play. Tomorrow, when I show outfit options, this 2nd pair of shoes will make a big ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 6: Accent Color Tops and a Scarf

June 25, 2014

Now, the fun starts! A couple of accent color tops and another scarf will bring each capsule wardrobe to life and give you many more options. Don't be terribly fanatic about matching up your accent colors, because you won't be wearing these pieces together; just make sure that you're choosing items that convey your preferences and your personal statement... That's what this is all about - showing yourself to the world exactly as you wish to be seen.

Yellow tee – Warehouse, scarf – Collection Weekend, aqua tee - Reiss

Red blouse – Cutie, scarf – Brooks Brothers, blue shirt - Uniqlo

Pink shirt – Fenn Wright Manson, scarf – Twisted ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 5: Accessories round one

June 24, 2014

Now that we have enough clothes in our capsule wardrobe to put together at least a handful of combinations, it's time to pause and make sure that we're truly heading down a path which we like; if we want to change courses, now is the time!

At a minimum, wearing coordinating accessories with your wardrobe will keep you from making that excuse in your mind - "this wardrobe isn't working because I don't have the right earrings (watch, scarf, bag); when I get THAT then it will be okay." So let's take a break from clothes and take a look at our accessories. Unless you're making a completely radical change of colors, you might find that you have accessories already in your collection which will work beautifully ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 4: Jeans and a Shirt

June 21, 2014

From the very beginning of this capsule wardrobe project, some of you have been clamoring for a pair of jeans. (actually, someone sent me a shockingly rude email when I didn't start with jeans; nobody should care so very much about what a blogger suggests...)

So now we're going to find a wonderful pair of jeans in our first neutral - yes, this gives us a core of four, which I consider to be a great starting point for a wardrobe.

When you're looking for jeans, try on lots and lots of them. And don't worry about price - more expensive jeans aren't automatically anything special, and inexpensive jeans might fit you beautifully. Just don't compromise on the quality of the denim, nor on the construction. After ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 3: A cardigan and tee

June 20, 2014

After much consideration, I decided NOT to start our capsule wardrobes with a suit, but I'm going to now pull in a second layer garment that can give you "suit-like" utility if you want it to. These two pieces could certainly be purchased as a true twinset (I personally adore twinsets), or you can find pieces that are closely related in color but not matchy-matchy.

You can buy a cardigan without any buttons - a waterfall style - but make sure that it's nice quality, and doesn't look like "the cardigan that I keep on my desk chair all the time in case it gets cold in the office". And do bear in mind that a cardigan that buttons can be worn without anything under it - as a sweater in its own right. A handy ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step One: A Nice Pair of Pants

June 18, 2014 Many people would tell you that you should start building your capsule wardrobe with a black suit. And there's an undoubted crowd who would vote in favor of a little black dress. (for me, personally, that's where I would start...) But after wrestling with this question for weeks, I've finally decided that most of us might find the most utility, and the most immediate transformation of our wardrobe, could come from investing in a really NICE pair of pants. Trousers. Even (very unpopular word) slacks... If you've changed sizes, a new pair of trousers that fit you perfectly will immediately elevate all of your old blouses and shirts. If you want to improve the overall quality of your ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch: Choosing Color Schemes

June 17, 2014

It's a question that's as old as The Vivienne Files - if you're starting a capsule wardrobe from scratch, how do you start?

What an ambitious question! But after thinking about it for three years, I'm going to give it a try - a step by step approach to rebuilding your wardrobe from the ground up.

Before you buy any garments at all, you've got to make a couple of decisions. One thing you'll have to work out for yourself - which silhouettes suit you best. I'm really not qualified to answer this question for every woman, but I encourage you to address this question on your own; you know better than anybody else in the world what shapes and sizes of garments suit you best...

But the next question - truly critical - is ... View the Post

Start with Flowers: Cherry Blossoms

June 3, 2014

In an otherwise extremely unremarkable outdoor mall, we found this lovely tree (proving that if you look for beauty, you WILL find it):

I'm pretty certain it was an ornamental cherry tree - I'll check back later this summer to see if, in fact, it produces cherries! But what really caught my eye was the juxtaposition of the grey/taupe of the tree bark, and the surrounding pavement, with the green, white and yellow of the flowers. So (you know me) I thought of color schemes for travel and summer...

Lots of lovely options available here! If you have some nice floral photographs, send them on - [email protected]. I'll do what I ... View the Post

Start With Art: Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte

May 21, 2014

This wonderful work is back in the Art Institute of Chicago; it was being restored and was not available to view for a while. It's such an amazing work - the asymmetry, the subtle powdery colors, the juxtaposed angles...

Even though this is a chilly winter scene, I'm going to look at some warm-weather clothes... I love this coral color, so that's going to be the primary accent color in this wardrobe.

And the taupish grey that suffuses this painting is a perfect base for some simple summery tops.

A few more lovely coral items...

These should get you through at least a long weekend in style!

I ... View the Post

Neutral Accessories: Shoes Part 2

May 16, 2014 This is the second half of the Neutral Accessories: Shoes post that I started yesterday. Although I'm trying to show all of the 14 neutral colors that I've included in my Combination of 3 Neutrals document, I chose put both of the shades of grey together. Similarly, I've put natural and khaki together... In both of these cases, the number of items available are so small that it didn't make sense to break them into separate listings!

love,

Janice Looking Back:

2012 - one of my favorite paintings of all time - I got to Start with Art: Monet Water Lilies. 2013 - Sometimes I need to be reminded of my Project ... View the Post

How to get “stress dressed”…

May 14 2014 I am asked this question often - is there anything I can do to be prepared when I have one of those mornings and I just can't get dressed? Today's a particularly appropriate day for me to write this, because I'm wearing my version of this today - head to toe black with accessories... For me, the best way to be prepared for this is to have ten items - six garments and four accessories - specifically assigned (in my mind, at least) for these days when everything feels like it's falling apart. You can work this in any color scheme, and the garments in question are an excellent base for both a travel wardrobe or a new simpler closet. You have to accept that you're going to wear a very simple ... View the Post

Start With a Scarf: Dark Pool by Elizabeth Blackadder

May 7, 2014

A couple of years ago, the National Gallery of Scotland held an exhibit of the works of Elizabeth Blackadder. I've been hard-pressed to find an actual picture of the painting from which this was drawn, but this is a great scarf, with some interesting possibilities.Today I've chosen to focus on the accent colors on one end of the scarf - the pastel apricot, rose and light blue, in order to see how they will work with the murky, sophisticated greyish green that dominates the scarf:

This sort of olive/grey shade is tough to find in clothing, but well worth seeking out if it appeals to you and is flattering - it has a depth that looks sophisticated, and lends itself well to a wide variety of garments. And ... View the Post